International
Nicolás Maduro says that the cane will remain in good hands in the years to come
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, said this Friday, when there are 23 days left for the presidential elections, that the staff of command of the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces will remain in “good hands” in the years to come and, he said, “never” will fall into the hands of an “oligarch.”
“I swear to you soldiers of my homeland, I swear to you people of Venezuela, that this command baton of commander-in-chief of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) (…) will remain in good hands in the years to come,” said the president, who led a civic-military parade in Caracas, about Independence Day in Venezuela.
Maduro maintained that the command baton will “never” fall into the hands of an “oligarch, a puppet, a traitor, I swear, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces will never have that embarrassing act of dishonor.”
The president of Venezuela added that that cane has been carried with “honor, honesty.”
“I have never trembled any imperial threat from the north or anyone, or from oligarchs, or from fascists,” he said.
He added that patriotism is out of love for history, for the right to the future, to be free and independent.
“When we say that we are anti-colonialist and anti-imperialist we do it out of love for the right we have to be free and in our homeland to decide what we have to decide,” he said.
This Friday, the candidate of Venezuela’s largest opposition coalition – Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) -, Edmundo González Urrutia, promised to modernize the FANB for the “new strategic military scenarios that are glimpsed at the national and global level,” in case of winning the presidential elections on July 28.
“Soldiers of the Venezuelan Armed Forces for that reason the Venezuelan people ask them to respect the results of their electoral decision (…) the Venezuelan people count on their military institution to respect and respect their sovereign will on July 28,” he said in a statement, about the 213 years of Venezuela’s independence.
International
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
The death toll from heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam has risen to 28, with six people reported missing and 43 injured, local newspaper VnExpress reported Friday night.
More than 22,100 homes remain flooded, primarily in the cities of Hue and Da Nang. Floods and landslides have destroyed or swept away 91 houses and damaged another 181, the report added.
Around 245,000 households are still without electricity, particularly in Da Nang, where over 225,000 homes are affected.
Additionally, 80 stretches of national highways are blocked or disrupted due to landslides. Authorities expect the flooding to continue for another day or two in the region.
International
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
Kash Patel did not provide further details, but police sources told CBS News that the potential attack was “inspired” by the Islamic State (ISIS).
“This morning, the FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack and arrested several individuals in Michigan who were allegedly planning a violent attack during the Halloween weekend,” Patel wrote on X.
“Thanks to swift action and close coordination with our local partners, a possible terrorist act was prevented before it could be carried out,” he added.
CBS reported that five people between the ages of 16 and 20 were arrested on Friday. At least one of them was reportedly acquainted with a former member of the Michigan National Guard, who was arrested in May for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on a U.S. military facility in the Detroit suburbs.
International
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed concerns over China’s growing military activity near Taiwan during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun in Kuala Lumpur.
“It was a constructive and positive meeting,” Hegseth wrote on X. “I emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and raised U.S. concerns about China’s actions around Taiwan,” the self-governed island that Beijing claims and does not rule out invading.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea. According to Trump, Taiwan was not discussed during their talks.
“The United States does not seek conflict and will continue to firmly defend its interests, ensuring it maintains the capability to do so in the region,” Hegseth added in his message.
Friday’s encounter followed a September 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong. Their previously planned meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore was canceled due to Dong’s absence from the event.
Trump’s sit-down with Xi — their first since 2019 — resulted in some trade agreements but avoided addressing the issue of Taiwan, a long-standing source of tension between the world’s two largest powers.
Trump has taken a more ambiguous stance on Taiwan’s future compared with former President Joe Biden, who repeatedly stated that Washington would support Taipei if China launched an invasion. The Republican president has also criticized Taiwan for “stealing” the U.S. semiconductor industry.
Floods in Central Vietnam leave 28 dead, thousands displaced
FBI foils ISIS-Inspired attack in Michigan, arrests five teens
U.S. warns China over Taiwan during high-level defense talks in Kuala Lumpur
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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